


Episode 2.19: The Parent Trap

by Starbooks13



Series: Spiders Have To Stick Together [45]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers Family, Blending Universes, Emotionally Compromised, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Nick Fury Is Not A Robot, Spiders Have To Stick Together, Super Soldier Serum, canon compliant AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-05 09:23:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4174593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbooks13/pseuds/Starbooks13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the Avengers have something to say about the Cages' research and everyone's two favorite SHIELD badasses are more human than they let on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Episode 2.19: The Parent Trap

                “So I hear there have been a lot of SHIELD family reunions today.”

                Fury kept his eye on his computer, going over individual mission reports from the Zodiac operation.  “Don’t remember giving you open access to my office, Romanoff.”

                He could practically hear the eye-roll in her voice.  “Like you could stop me from coming in if I wanted to, sir.”

                “If I was in less of a good mood, I’d take that as a challenge.”  He finally gave in and looked at his top agent when she perched on his desk.  “And even in my good mood, I don’t take kindly to people sitting on my desk.”

                “Aw, just this once? For the sake of a special occasion? Seriously, R&D is practically throwing a carnival to welcome the Cages back.”

                He couldn’t help but smile a little at that.  Walter and Amanda Cage were two of his oldest friends at SHIELD.  He’d been hit hard by their supposed deaths, even harder later on when he’d realized the man responsible was his own brother.  Finding out they were alive had been the best part of shutting Zodiac’s super-soldier attempts down.  But still.  “No.  Now what do you want, Agent?”

                Natasha sighed before standing up.  “I’m actually here on Avenger business.”

                He immediately sat up straighter in his chair.  “What kind of Avenger business?”

                “Steve and Bruce found out about the serum.”

                “Damn.”  He’d been hoping to keep the Cages’ work secret from the pair, based on their history with it.  “How did they-?”

                “Tony.  He saw the project files the last time you let him go poking around in SHIELD’s systems, but he forgot about it until he overheard Clint and I talking about the Cages being rescued. You called it, Nick.  They want the Cages’ experiments shut down, permanently.”  She shook her head.  “Steve went through three punching bags after finding out about Luke.”

                “And Banner?”

                “He left for Vista Verde.  Said the Big Guy needed to be someplace where he could smash with impunity.”  She paused.  “Nick…I think they have a point.  We need to stop messing around with trying to replicate Erskine’s formula.  It just leads to things like the Cages’ abduction and an innocent boy getting pushed into a life he never asked for.”

                “Power Man had the option of turning down our training program.  He chose to be a hero.”

                “Because what other kind of life is there for someone with invulnerable skin?  Or genetic mutations caused by a spider bite?”

                “Or a childhood spent preparing them to become one of the world’s greatest assassins?”

                Natasha’s face went blank, but her eyes turned cold.  “Low blow, Nick.”

                “Sorry.  Just trying to make a point.  Those boys chose to use their powers for good, just like you did once you realized there was a choice.”

                “Like your brother chose to found Zodiac to spite you.”

                He narrowed his eye at her.  “I’m not denying I’m compromised here, agent.  But we’re talking about the weapon itself, not the person who used it.  Or tried to, in Scorpio’s case.”

                “I still agree with Steve and Bruce, and so does the rest of the team.  And I can guarantee that we will fight you on this.” Beat.  “Sir.”

                Fury leaned forward in his seat.  “The Avengers have no say in internal SHIELD matters.  And you have no say in this particular one.”  He straightened and turned back to the reports on his computer screen.  “Now get out of my office.”

                There was a long silence before Natasha left, pointedly clacking her boots against the floor rather than departing as quietly as she had entered his office.  Fury sighed before pulling up Coulson and the Cages’ reports on the situation.  With Natasha’s visit, it was clear all his most trusted authorities on this case were against proceeding with the serum research.  The risk factor was simply too high; there were too many chances, even with all the protocols they could take, that the research could fall into the wrong hands. 

                He made sure Natasha was on the recipient list of the email he sent out to all relevant parties, instructing the complete dismantling of SHIELD’s Super Soldier projects.  It wouldn’t stop others from trying, but at least now it wouldn’t be his fault if the serum was ever successfully replicated.

                Her only response was a smiley-face emoticon.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by my thoughts on how Steve and Bruce would react to SHIELD having another Project: Rebirth in the works, considering the serum's impact on their lives and its potential for misuse, but with some emotional fluff mixed in to balance out any angst. Fury's happiness to see Power Man's parents at the end of this episode really stuck out to me, since he doesn't show a lot of emotion or tenderness, but he flat-out embraces the Cages when he sees them and calls them by their first names. So I wanted that joy to show in through the story, as well as take into account how it might affect the future of the serum's research. 
> 
> Also, the little sneak-peak into Natasha's thoughts about the choices available to people with special abilities and training is very much inspired by her fears in AoU that she'll always be the "monster" the Red Room made her into rather than the hero she's chosen to be, particularly since their training and subsequent "graduation ceremony" appears designed to take away the subject's ability to choose for herself. The emoticon email response was from her text message to Steve in Winter Soldier and the subsequent fanon that Natasha uses a lot of emojis when she texts. ;)


End file.
